The present invention relates to patient support apparatuses—such as bed, cots, stretchers, and the like—and more particularly to electrical connectors that may be used with such apparatuses for supplying power and/or data to and/or from such apparatuses.
Modern day patient support apparatuses typically have one or more components that require electrical power. Such components include actuators, such as motors, pumps, and the like, as well as sensors, user interfaces, and control circuitry that oversees the operation of the one or more actuators. For example, modern hospital beds often include one or more user interfaces that allow a caregiver to control the movement of various portions of the bed, as well as to set alerts, and to monitor conditions of the bed (such as whether a patient has exited the bed or not). In many cases, this user interface is connected to the components it controls via an electrical cable or a connector. Such cables or connectors may extend between the patient support apparatus itself and the mattress positioned thereon, between the mattress and a pendant that controls the mattress, between the patient support apparatus and an external device (such as, but not limited to, a wall outlet for power delivery and/or for a network connection), or between any other components where one of the components is not permanently coupled to the other component.
In the past, the temporary electrical connection between two components related to patient support apparatuses has been carried out by friction fitting connectors. Such connectors may be integrated into, or attached to, the ends of an electrical cable. The connectors are physically designed to be held together by a frictional coupling that resists separation. In some cases, a user may forget that the two components are coupled together and attempt to move one of the coupled components. This may end up damaging one or both of the connectors. In other cases, it can be difficult to align the connectors precisely. This difficulty in alignment may lead to a user forcing together the two connectors when they are not properly aligned, which can lead to damage to one or both of the connectors, or it can lead to an improper or poor electrical connection between the connectors.